Conference theme: 

HIghlIghtIng the cross-dIscIplInarIty of the psychology of relIgIon

Locatıon

University of Birmingham

Dates

Tuesday 19 August – Friday 22 August 2025

Call for proposals

Scholars in the Psychology of Religion employ different disciplinary and methodological perspectives to study diverse topics, such as lived spirituality, religious diversity and health and wellbeing. In this conference, we are particularly interested in highlighting the inherent cross-disciplinarity of the Psychology of Religion, both between disciplines (e.g., psychology, theology, religious studies) and within disciplines (e.g., different sub-disciplines of Psychology, including social, developmental, neuroscience, etc.). While you do not need to explicitly address cross-disciplinarity in your submission, we encourage you to consider how your work might engage with this theme. 

The conference theme is partly inspired by a “sister” Psychology-Engaged Theology Conference, which is the capstone event for the “New Perspectives on Social Psychology and Religious Cognition for Theology: Training and Developing Science-Engaged Theologians” grant. The capstone event will be taking place just prior to the IAPR conference with a shared keynote on the evening of August 19  If you would like more information about this “sister” conference, please email pctp@contacts.bham.ac.uk

We will also have a preconference on the afternoon of August 19 with the theme: “Widening the Methods Toolbox in the Psychology of Religion.”

Conference dates

  • Psychology-Engaged Theology Conference, August 18-19, 2025 (email pctp@contacts.bham.ac.uk for more information if you are interested in attending; the fee will be £50)
  • IAPR Pre-Conference, August 19, 2025: 12:30-16:30
  • IAPR Conference, August 19-22, 2025 (starting at 17:00 on August 19)

Please note that the 2025 IAPR conference will be held exclusively in person; there are no options for online attendance.

Abstract Deadline: February 14 2025

We warmly invite you to contribute a paper, poster or panel.

We recommend that you submit your abstract as soon as possible, particularly if you are going to need a visa to attend the conference or if you would like to apply for the discounted housing on campus.

Types of submission

Oral Paper

A paper presentation consists of 20 minutes of presentation and 10 minutes of discussion. We encourage presenters to plan their presentations in such a way that it will elicit a constructive discussion. 

Panel

A panel is a coordinated set of papers, all dealing with a particular topic or issue. A panel includes a chairperson and 3 or 4 presentations, which may include a discussant (optional). 

Poster

A poster is an opportunity to display information about completed or ongoing research. Posters will be displayed through the duration of the conference with designated sessions scheduled for participants to meet with authors to discuss their work. The presenting author must be present for their poster session.

Abstract submission instructions

Oral Paper/Poster

  • Character limit: 1,000 (total)
  • Please explicitly use the following 3 headings (“Aim”, “Methodology”, “Findings”) in your abstract. If your abstract does not contain these headings, it will be bounced back for revision.

Aim: The aim/purpose of your paper/poster

Methodology: The methodology you followed in your research/review

Findings: The (expected) findings in your empirical work or the message you want the audience to take away, if it is a review.

Scholars can be first author only on one submission but are able to be co-authors (non first authors) on other submissions

Panel

  • Description of what panel is about (1000 characters max), and the abstracts following the specific format above for each paper in the panel. For example, if your panel includes 4 presentations, you’ll need to submit a description of the panel and 4 abstracts. The panel proposal submission form below will guide you through this process.
  • Panel proposals that are not accepted will automatically be considered for individual oral papers. Hence, if a paper is included in a panel submission, then the author(s) should not fill out the individual paper version of the form with the same information.
  • Scholars can be first author only on one submission but are able to be coauthors (non-first authors) on other submissions. 

Poster competition and guidelines 

Best poster award

The best poster will be awarded a special certificate and free registration for one person to the next IAPR conference. The posters will be evaluated by the conference’s scientific committee based on:

  • the coherence of the content,
  • the clarity of the message, and
  • the visual attractiveness of the poster.

Planning your poster

A poster should be complete and self-supporting so that different viewers may read at their leisure. The author should only need to supplement or discuss particular points raised during inquiry. Remember that several people of varying degrees of interest and experience may be viewing your poster at the same time. Therefore, you may wish to make your points as complete and brief as possible. 

Poster dimensions should not exceed 90cm × 120cm (35.43in × 47.24in). Posterboards are 96cm wide × 138cm high (37.80in × 54.33in). Note that this corresponds to a “portrait” orientation. The most effective use of the space would be in a grid plan arranged in columns. Allow for space when printing and planning layouts. 

The standard elements are Introduction, Methods, Results (with supporting figures), and a Conclusion or Summary. Fonts should be easily seen from a distance of roughly 2 meters. Using the guidelines above, the introduction would be placed at the upper left, and the conclusion at the lower right, both in large type. It is not necessary to post a copy of the abstract. 

Figures should also be easily seen from a distance. Use clear graphics and large fonts to accomplish this. The main points should be straightforward without extended viewing, but details should be included for those who might wish to discuss them. Because the amount of text is restricted, the figure legend could contain some of the commentary that would usually be contained in the body of a manuscript.

  • Minimize narrative.
  • Use large fonts in short, separated paragraphs.
  • Do not set entire paragraphs in boldface or capital letters.
  • Numbered or bulleted lists are a concise and effective way to convey a series of points.

Prepare a banner for the top of the poster indicating the abstract title, author(s) and affiliation(s). Lettering should be about 1 1/4 inches (3.12cm) high for the title, 3/4 inches (1.9cm) high for the author’s names and 1/2 inch (1.27cm) high for affiliations. 

Fees for registration – please note registration is not open yet

  • Academic Staff (IAPR members): £250
  • Academic Staff (non-IAPR members): £300
  • Students (IAPR members): £130
  • Students (non-IAPR members): £180
  • Academic Staff from low-income countries (IAPR members): £125
  • Academic Staff from low-income countries (non-IAPR members): £175
  • Students from low-income countries (IAPR members): £60
  • Students from low-income countries (non-IAPR members): £110
  • Preconference attendance: £20
  • Guest (someone not attending the conference) attendance at cultural event: £50
  • Become an IAPR member 

Registration fees cover drinks reception on the evening of August 19, lunch and coffee breaks August 20 – 22, and the cultural event (including dinner) on August 21. 

Discounted accommodation information

We will have accommodation in student residence halls available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you would like to book one of these rooms you can indicate that on your registration form. We recommend registering early to ensure that you are able to reserve one. 

Rooms will cost £70/night, for an ensuite “small double” (6 inches narrower than a normal double bed) room, with breakfast included.

Keynote speakers

Reverend Dr Joanna Collicutt: Psychology and Theology

Joanna is a clinical psychologist and Anglican priest based in the University of Oxford. After a long and varied career in the British health service and academia her work now mainly focuses on psychology of religion and Christianity and the arts.

Joanna Collicut

She studied experimental psychology and (later) theology at Oxford University, and clinical psychology and (later) Christianity and the Arts at King’s College, London. Joanna’s clinical work was mainly in the area of neurology and her first PhD was on fear and anxiety following acquired brain injury. Her work in psychology of religion has focused on psychology and the Bible. Joanna’s teaching has been in the areas of pastoral care, especially in the areas of ageing, mental health, and dementia; in the area of spiritual formation, especially the use of insights from positive psychology; and in spirituality and the arts. She is currently pursuing a second PhD at King’s College London on the Visual Commentary on Scripture. Joanna has been passionate about the interface between theology and psychology since she was a teenager. Books include The psychology of Christian character formation. SCM, 2015;  Being mindful, being Christian. Monarch/SPCK, 2016; Thinking of you: A spiritual resource for people with dementia. BRF, 2016; Neurology and religion. Cambridge University Press, 2019; Death and life: A church’s guide to exploring mortality. BRF, 2024; So longeth my soul: A reader in Christian spirituality. SCM, 2024.

Professor Armin Geertz: Cognitive Science of Religion

Armin W Geertz is Emeritus Professor at the Department for the Study of Religion and Former Fellow of Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University. Armin does research on Indigenous religions, Comparative Religion, Mythology and Folklore, and Extreme Religiosity and Mysticism. He also works in the Cognitive Science of Religion, Evolutionary Theories of Religion, and in Method and Theory in the Study of Religion.

Armin Geertz

Professor Geertz uses a variety of methods spanning historical study, fieldwork, experiments and text mining. He is senior editor of Journal for the Cognitive Science of Religion and the Advances in the Cognitive Science of Religion series (both at Equinox). He has served as President of the International Association for the Cognitive and Evolutionary Sciences of Religion.

Professor Rebekah Richert: Developmental Psychology of Religion 

Rebekah A. Richert earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology (BA) from Calvin College (1999) and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Virginia (2003). Funded by a National Science Foundation International Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, she was a postdoctoral fellow with Dr Harvey Whitehouse at Queens University-Belfast (2003-2004) and with Dr Paul Harris at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education (2004-2005). 

Rebekah Richert

Dr Richert has developed various lines of research into how children’s developing social cognition influences their understanding of religion, fantasy, and media. In particular, she studies cultural and developmental mechanisms in the development of concepts of God, the soul, prayer and rituals, as well as children’s commitments to the reality status of religious entities and the efficacy of religious practices. Bridging the study of developing fantasy-reality distinctions, Dr Richert also examines how the fantastical content and characters in children’s media can both support and hinder children’s learning from books, videos, and interactive games. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, The John Templeton Foundation, and the Templeton World Charity Trust.

Renate Ysseldyk: Health Psychology, Aging, and Religion

Renate Ysseldyk, PhD, is Associate Professor of Health Sciences and Director of the Social Identity and Health Lab at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Before joining Carleton, she completed postdoctoral work at the University of Exeter (UK) and the University of Queensland (Australia), funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). Her current work has been funded by grants from SSHRC, the International Research Network for the Study of Science & Belief in Society (INSBS), and the Centre for Aging & Brain Health Innovation (CABHI).

Renate Ysseldyk

As a social and health psychologist, her research focuses on the social determinants of health among potentially vulnerable populations (e.g., older adults living with dementia, caregivers, individuals who have experienced discrimination, trauma, or illness). She takes an interdisciplinary, mixed-method, and community-based approach to contribute toward understanding and promoting individual mental health, and healthy societies more broadly, by focusing on three interconnected themes: 1) healthy ageing, 2) (non)religious, ethnic, and gender identities, and 3) coping with stress. Her research program is thus grounded in a social identity framework for studying the influence of psychosocial factors on coping with stressful experiences and life transitions amid a primarily medicalized landscape of care.